Our People

Jim is the President of O’Neill Power Systems. Jim founded OPS and since inception has researched and developed cam-driven internal combustion power systems. O’Neill Power Systems has produced proof of concept demonstration units featuring coaxial counter-rotation (“the NorEaster”). Jim received patent US 7,219,631 B1 for the high-torque, low velocity internal combustion engine. The NorEaster has been the subject of student research projects at Worcester Polytechnic Institute under the direction of Professor Robert Norton. Jim received a 2012 Invention Award from Popular Science Magazine for “A Simple Helicopter Engine”. Previously Jim was the President of the Merco Packaging Division of Merkert Enterprises. Jim was also the President of the BDS Marketing Division of Merkert Enterprises. Jim is a consummate inventor and has developed 3 patents. Jim attended Bryant and Stratton College. He is a veteran of the U. S. Army and retired as a First Lieutenant.

Jerry is the CEO of O’Neill Power Systems. Previously, Jerry was a Senior Vice President of State Street Corporation in the Global Relationship Management Group focusing upon federal official institutions in the United States. He chaired the Americas Sales Council and was a member of the Sovereign Asset Steering Committee and the Latin America Steering Committee.

Jerry has spent a considerable amount of time in Brazil and led the Brazil market entry initiative. Previously, he was responsible for the managing the institutional sales team of State Street Global Advisors (“SSgA”) in the United States and Latin America including the corporate, endowment, foundation, public and Taft Hartley teams. At the time SSgA was the largest institutional asset manager in the world. He was responsible for pricing and fee setting, created a capacity management committee, managed the defined contribution strategy unit and served as a member of the Senior Management Group.

Prior to joining SSgA, Jerry served as Senior Vice President for John Hancock Financial Services where he managed venture capital leasing and aircraft leasing units. Jerry held various sales positions with Manufacturers Hanover, ITEL and IBM. Jerry earned an MBA from Babson College, an AB in Political Science from Fairfield University, attended Suffolk University Law School and completed the Executive Management Program at Emory University. He is the Chairman of the Board for the Alliance for the Responsible Siting of Alternative Energy Installations.

Mr. Norton is a registered professional engineer in Massachusetts. He has over 50 years’ experience in engineering design and manufacturing and over 40 years experience teaching mechanical engineering, engineering design, computer science, and related subjects at Northeastern University, Tufts University, and WPI. Norton has been on the faculty of WPI since 1981, and is currently the Milton P. Higgins II Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He is also the founder and president of Norton Associates Engineering Consultants since 1970.

At Polaroid Corporation for 10 years, he designed cameras, related mechanisms, and high-speed automated machinery. He spent three years at Jet Spray Cooler Inc., designing food-handling machinery and products. For five years he helped develop artificial-heart and noninvasive assisted-circulation devices at the Tufts New England Medical Center and Boston City Hospital. Since leaving industry to join academia in 1974, he has continued as an independent consultant on engineering projects ranging from disposable medical products to high-speed production machinery. He holds thirteen U.S. patents.

He is the author of numerous technical papers and journal articles covering kinematics, dynamics of machinery, cam design and manufacturing, computers in education, engineering education, and of the texts Design of Machinery, Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery, Machine Design: An Integrated Approach, and the Cam Design and Manufacturing Handbook. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. In 2007, he was selected as a U. S. Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, who jointly present the only national awards for teaching excellence given in the United States of America.

Bob has a BS in Mechanical Engineering & Industrial Technology from Northeastern University and an MS in Engineering Design from Tufts University. He was awarded a Doctor of Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.